The traditional form of detergent compositions for use in automatic dish or laundry machines is granular or particulate, which are placed in the dispenser located in the door of a dishwashing machine or in the dispensing tray of an automatic laundry washing machine.
However, in order to simplify the dosing of detergents for automatic washing machines, many detergent compositions are provided not only in particulate form but also in the form of non particulate solids such as bars briquettes or more commonly tablets. This provides a number of advantages to both the consumer and manufacturer. Firstly, such tablets eliminate the need for the consumer to estimate the dosage of detergent composition required and ensure that the correct dosage of detergent composition per wash is used by the consumer. Secondly, tablets eliminate the problem of spillage of a powdered detergent composition. Thirdly, the use of tablets minimises the contact by the consumer with the composition.
To further simplify dosing and in order to maximise performance of the tabletted detergent compositions, many of the detergent composition manufacturers provide the consumer with separate dispensing devices in which to place the tabletted detergent composition. Dispensing devices in the form of baskets or cradles to maximise the performance of tablets in automatic dishwashing machines are therefore well known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,912/WO 92/11797 discloses a dispenser for solid dishwashing detergent compositions for dishwashing machines. This dispenser is placed within the washing chamber of the machine and comprises a container with a lid. The container has plurality of openings to allow water to enter and a slot on a side wall to allow drainage of the detergent composition solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,781 discloses a disposable container for automatic dishwashing compositions containing a solid cast detergent composition. The container and solid cast detergent are specifically designed for use in dishwashing machines having a dispensing device designed to dispense liquid detergents formed from solid casts using a liquid spray.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,236 discloses a dispenser for a solid detergent composition for use in an automatic dishwashing machine. The dispenser is a container having an opening in the container top, side walls and an open bottom mouth having a removable lid. The dispenser is placed upright in the dishwashing machine.
However, the use of such dispensing devices can still enable access to the detergent composition by young children and infants, especially if the detergent is placed in the dishwashing machine without starting the wash program of the machine. The risk also exists of the removal of the tablet from the dispensing device by the child and the subsequent accidental ingestion of the tablet as the latter represents a product form which children can easily place in the mouth.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device for tabletted automatic washing machine detergent compositions, such that the tablet cannot be easily removed from the dispensing device by young children or infants, once inserted.
It has now been found that these objectives can be achieved by a dispensing device having an opening for the insertion of the tablet, which has a child resistant restraint means.
Child resistant closing devices for packages are well known in the art. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,002 discloses a package with a child resistant opening which is readily openable by adults, particularly by adults with impaired manual dexterity. The package comprises a bottle and closure, the bottle having a collar with a pair of spring like push tabs containing vertical extensions which engage interlocking teeth of the closure skirt. However, this form of child resistant closure is designed for packages in which the closure is intended for removal from the bottle in appropriate circumstances. Such a design is not suitable for the problem addressed by the present invention where removal of a detergent tablet, once inserted into the container, is not desired.